Tuesday, October 27, 2009

PRINCESS CHELSEA INTERVIEWS JONATHAN BREE

Please find below a very impartial / unbiased interview with fellow bandmate, bff, and co-owner of record label releasing my album - Jonathan Bree of The Brunettes on the eve of the release of fourth album Paper Dolls + a complimentary remix of new single Red Rollerskates that sounds a little bit like Daft Punk.

PC: Paper Dolls is your fourth album. I understand it has taken a while to release?

JB: The album itself only took 6 months to record which by Brunette standards is relatively short period of time - however it took three record labels, three managers two booking agents and twelve months to come out.

PC: That sounds quite annoying, am I right?

JB: Correct.

PC: Despite all your issues I personally think the album is good. It's quite electronic in parts which is zany. Did you set out to make an "electronic" album?

JB: No. It was just a natural gravitation for me, utilising a modern recording setup and working with keyboards and drum sequencing rather than organic recording. Saying that its electronic - it isn't really - anyone that likes electronic music wouldn't class it as electronic music at all, in fact they'd probably think it was rather organic. The reason we're putting in a press release that its electronic is that it is by far the most plastic sounding record that we've ever produced.

PC: What would you say to analog purists? I had an annoying conversation with some dick at a bar where he informed me that if it's not recorded on an 8 track (preferably a 4 track) reel to reel tape machine - its not a real recording. How would you respond to a statement like that?

JB: Nothing, I'd just smile and slowly back off into the shadows.

PC: I can imagine that certain websites / Ionlylikedtheirfirstepiamveryawesome types might not like your new digital approach......

JB: I remember when I made Holding Hands Feeding Ducks - I was fairly prejudiced against modern production values but since then have come to find some appeal in them. I wouldn't really knock anyone that doesn't appreciate the new production on Paper Dolls. I'm a huge admirer of Jonathan Richman but some of the production on his later albums can sometimes not do it so much for me. I guess some people need everything to be just so in order for it to be palatable. I don't really care I made the album that I still wanted to make.

PC: I personally believe that Paper Dolls has more in common with your first release than Structure and Cosmetics or even Mars Loves Venus. I know that a few of the songs on it were written ten I mean eight years ago. For me those songs in particular are an interesting listen - old songs kept in a time capsule and then finally recorded in a different way than they would have been back then. (See - Connection, It's Only Natural, Crime Machine).

JB: Ok.

PC. You mastered this album yourself. What were some of the reference tracks you used when mastering the album?

JB: I used some tracks from Rubber Soul and Air's Talkie Walkie album for reference for my mastering - but I still find it really hard to get the mastering right.

PC: I understand you were also listening to a fair bit of Britney Spears and JT while making the album?

JB: That's true. I've always had a soft spot for Britney and the production work on her recent efforts has been pretty inspiring. I didn't necessarily set out to mimic it because i just wouldn't be able to - but it definitely was on the stereo a lot.

PC: My favourite song on the album is probably Bedroom Disco - whats your favourite?

JB: At the time of making the album i was probably most enthusiastic about the title track and thought that it was lyrically and musically a bit different for me.

PC: It is - the structure is quite wacky.

JB: It's not a good pop song.

PC: I suppose it's quite an effort for you to try and write a bad pop song HAHAHAHA. If someone was to go to a listening post at Real Groovy or perhaps JB Hi Fi or Marbecks and they only had say 9 minutes - which three tracks would you recommend they listen to / legally download to get a good sense of what the album is like?

JB: In Colours, Bedroom Disco and Magic (No Bunny)

PC: Your new single Red Rollerskates - is it about S&M?

JB: Its about how you cant keep up with me when we walk anywhere and how unfit you are.

PC: I see

JB: We haven't got you a pair of rollerskates yet, it probably wouldn't work in New Zealand yet because the footpaths are so crappy but it was a thought anyway - born out of frustration.

PC: Once I took my little sister out to a bar to see Holly Golightly play when she was 15 and she though it would be a very good idea to wear rollerskates.

JB: I remember that. Really, 15? I think I got in trouble with my girlfriend at the time for looking at your sister in rollerskates that night.

PC: Perhaps that's where the idea came from - subliminally.So just throwing it out there - the album's called Paper Dolls, there's a very long track with lots of lyrics called Paper Dolls and all the artwork is little Paper Dolls and shit - I'm just assuming its a concept album about human behaviour and lots of metaphors and shit about paper...

Who are we?

Lil' Chief Records is a boutique New Zealand based indie pop record label and musical collective, formed in 2002, and releasing the best music in that genre from these here shores. Our HQ is in Auckland, a city built on a dormant volcanic field...

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